Chapter 499 - 35: Knowledge
The factory hadn’t been completed for long, and due to the lack of materials and tools, it had never been painted. Only in some areas were the walls decorated with thin wood planks glued with resin.
During the time Chen Zhou and Sunday lived in the factory, they cherished this hard-built house and usually kept it very clean.
Therefore, inside the factory, there were hardly any oil stains or mold spots on the walls that were difficult to clean. Even in the kitchen, there were few signs of smoke and fire.
As a result, the process of priming the factory was much easier.
All it required was applying the prepared putty layer by layer on the walls.
Once the putty dried, they would examine it under flashlight, using their hands to check for unevenness, and then sand it down.
Taking advantage of this opportunity to renovate the house, Chen Zhou also made some wooden skirting boards.
There was a laser level in the auto repair toolbox, which just helped him align the skirting boards vertically and horizontally, reducing gaps.
Once the putty was even, they would apply a coat of latex paint, close the windows tightly, and place a basin of water inside to maintain the room’s humidity, waiting three to five days for the job to be done.
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To the natives, the once-gray-toned factory, after the priming, truly seemed transformed like the Celestial Kingdom.
The clean white ceilings and walls made the whole room appear incredibly bright, both clean and sacred.
Especially in the second-floor office of the factory, where the sunlight streaming in through the large glass windows highlighted the Leader’s long table, chairs, and the items on the bookshelves with a golden edge.
Just one glance at the scene would leave the natives feeling ashamed, realizing their small houses were truly insignificant.
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After the simple renovation, adhering to the principle of doing it right the first time, Chen Zhou reorganized all the furniture.
The furniture brought down from the ship was divided into two types: one made of unpainted thin wood planks used by ordinary sailors and the other made of high-end furniture used by the Captain and first mate.
Chen Zhou, who prioritizes practicality, used whichever was comfortable, mixing and matching them.
Now he removed all the ordinary furniture and replaced it entirely with unified European carved furniture, including long tables, chairs, beds, low cabinets, and shelves.
In addition to the furniture from the 17th century, Chen Zhou also had some self-made furniture.
These pieces were of a different style altogether.
Perhaps due to professional influence, Chen Zhou had never been interested in ornate furniture. The design style he preferred was often minimalist.
Clean, crisp designs, smooth lines, and neutral or cool colors were elements Chen Zhou liked.
Most of his self-made furniture was minimalist in style, mainly placed in his personal spaces such as the bedroom and study.
Chen Zhou believed that while minimalist furniture was comfortable to use, compared to the ornate European furniture, it exerted weaker psychological pressure on people.
Therefore, when meeting with the natives, he would still use the furniture brought down from the ship, distributing tasks in the office.
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There’s strength in numbers.
When there were only 10 people on the island, it felt like there were never enough hands for anything.
Especially during the dry season, with many tasks and few workers, it always left Sunday, who was responsible for dispatching and managing the natives, feeling stretched thin.
Now that the island’s population had more than doubled, Sunday, having been through hard times, could finally enjoy the comfort of having a "surplus."
Road repair, land reclamation, fishing, and shrimping, transporting supplies, all daily matters could be resolved with just a word from him.
Moreover, as new members gradually learned Chinese, integrated into this new force, and mastered more work skills, projects were completed more quickly and easily.
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Near the factory, the land that had been cleared and leveled was paved with stone bricks, forming 1.5m wide paths.
New charcoal and ceramic kilns had also been scheduled, awaiting Chen Zhou to complete the design and calculate the material needs before formally commencing work.
On the slope, a herd of sheep grazing natives were also assigned a helper, easing their workload significantly.
The sheep flock was steadily growing, and the pregnant cow was getting closer to her due date.
Chen Zhou specifically instructed the grazing natives to notify him a few days before the cow’s delivery. In case of dystocia, improper fetal position, or if the cow was too weak to give birth, timely intervention was necessary.
This was partly to protect the island’s beef, dairy, and labor resources, and partly for the sake of the grazing natives.
The number of wild goats on the island wasn’t particularly large, but it was far from being endangered.
With the loss of a few goats during the rainy season, a lamb bitten by a snake, or a ewe dying due to dystocia, the grazing natives could bear these losses.
But if one of the only two cows on the island died inexplicably, the consequences would be severe.
Even if the cow’s death had nothing to do with the grazing natives, without a Leader’s trusted person on site, who could guarantee it? Who would dare guarantee it?
At that time, it would be as if mud had fallen into one’s pants; whether it was mud or feces, it would all be the same.
Regardless of whether it was to serve as a warning to others or to demonstrate the authority of the leader, the grazing natives wouldn’t have a good outcome, at least taking a severe beating.
Chen Zhou didn’t want such a bad thing to happen on the island.
He highly regarded the grazing natives’ work attitude, and ever since he told them to earnestly learn Chinese, that fellow had indeed been quite diligent.
According to natives conveying messages, the grazing native’s Chinese had become very fluent now.
This is such a conscientious and responsible talent, and the island’s only specialist in livestock, Chen Zhou, as the Leader of all the natives, must protect him.